I suppose there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the first on the block to try out what marketers tell us we must have and satisfy our technology curiosity.

This collection of Letters to the Editor refers to articles published in several recent issues of Mechanical Engineering magazine.

The News & Notes section includes "Return of the Oil Spike?" and "NTSB Issues Pipeline Safety Recommendation."

"Computer Score," "Shot Detection" and "Supercomputer Time" are among the items in this month's Computing section.

Instrumentation and Control is the theme of this month's Tech Focus section, which features "All Seeing Eyes" and "Nanoscale X-Rays."

Dedicated volunteers are at work in Albuquerque, N.M., putting back into full operation a rare surviving “Big Steam” locomotive.

Close study of a ubiquitous musical instrument reveals potential means of improvement.

In the search for personalized medicine, nanochannel implants mimic the body’s natural regulators of health.

Focus on Dynamic Systems & Control: Thanks to advances in control systems, vehicles can carry out tasks without human guidance.

Tying project management with product lifecycle software creates a bigger picture

A pioneer of FEA donates $1 million to support the Federal Fellows.

This month's Software Exchange section includes "Control and Test," "Milling Help" and "Many Flavors."

Open board timers and right-angle cord grips are among the New Products selected for the February 2011 issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine.